In the production of baked snacks from a dough, such as a wheat-based dough, generally the thinner the dough the more chip-like is the baked snack in crispness and appearance. However, to produce a substantially expanded, thick, coating on an edible core material, such as a peanut, expansion or leavening of a wheat-based dough tends to result in a lamellar structure with generally uniform small cells and a tender, mealy, leavened texture, rather than a crisp, chip-like texture. Upon mastication, a conventional wheat-based cracker generally disperses more rapidly than does a chip. Conventional wheat-based cracker doughs do not provide a crunchy texture and a sensation of breaking into pieces with low molar compaction before dispersion as does a chip.
Filled baked crackers or snacks obtained by needle injection of fillings into hollow expanded snacks made from wheat flour are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,536 to Dogliotti, U.S. Pat. No. 4,613,508 to Shishido, U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,493 to Moriki, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,000,968 to Szwerc et al. The doughs are formulated and processed to retain a puffed or pillowed shape after piercing of the baked, hollow piece.
The production of chip-like, starch-based snacks having a crispy texture and surface blisters from starch-based compositions which have little or no gluten, such as potato flour or corn flour, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,873,093 and 4,834,996 to Fazzolare et al. and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,429,834 and 5,500,240 to Addesso et al. Starch-based compositions which have little or no gluten, when mixed with water, do not form a dough that is cohesive at room temperature and continuously machinable or sheetable. Machinability of doughs made from ingredients having little or no gluten may be improved by forming a dough under elevated temperature conditions, such as by steaming the ingredients, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,873,093 and 4,834,996 to Fazzolare et al.
In the process of U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,429,834 and 5,500,240 to Addesso et al, use of a pregelatinized waxy starch provides for the production of cohesive, extensible, continuously machinable doughs from starchy materials or ingredients having starch with no or low gluten. These machinable doughs may be formed at room temperatures without the need for steaming or heat treatment to develop cohesiveness, extensibility, and machinability.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,931,303 and 4,994,295 to Holm et al disclose that in the production of fabricated snack products having controlled surface bubbling, the dough sheet must have cohesive properties which permit the surface or surfaces of the dough or preform to stretch relatively uniformly when forming bubbles during frying. The highly cohesive, non-adhesive dough, it is disclosed, can be made by adjusting the quantity of free gelatinized starch, the degree of retrogradation of the starch (thereby affecting the water absorption of a given quantity of the starch), and the concentration of any starch-complexing emulsifiers present. In the Holm et al process, a dough may be formed comprising, e.g., potato solids or corn solids, raw or pregelatinized starches, modified starches, flavorings, oils, and the like.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,560,569 to Ivers discloses that in the production of a dough-based fried food product, a processed starch in either gelatinized or ungelatinized form is frequently added when a low-starch flour or flake is employed. Water, it is disclosed, is required to soften the flour, and depending upon the protein content of the flour, to form a network of protein (gluten), which is the framework of the product. According to Ivers, starch, which is present in flours, is used as a binder and is required for the unleavened product to expand upon frying. Dough stickiness and hardness of the cooked product may be controlled by the addition of oil to the dough to control the extent of the protein framework. The dough is prepared by adjusting the ratios of components and the mixing time to allow it to sheet uniformly at the desired thickness without sticking or tearing. According to Ivers, addition of a small amount of a lecithin-in-water suspension to the formulation of the dough-based fried snack foods improves the transfer, sheeting and cutting, and significantly reduces clumping during frying, without the rapid buildup of free fatty acids and without significant darkening of frying oil, normally associated with the frying of foods containing lecithin.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,747,092 and 5,980,967 each to Carey et al disclose that in the production of wheat-based baked snacks the inclusion of a pregelatinized starch in the dough to create surface bubbles tends to result in a styrofoam-like or compressible texture, rather than a highly crisp, crunchy texture. Also, if the pregelatinized starch is not sufficiently hydrated prior to baking, bubbles created during baking tend to collapse. A pregelatinized potato starch, which is also activated (i.e. sufficiently hydrated) prior to baking, is employed to reduce or control bubbling and to avoid a styrofoam-like texture. Sufficient hydration of the pregelatinized waxy starch and pregelatinized potato starch is achieved by premixing them with hot water or by providing sufficient dough lay time for hydration to occur.
The production of snack products having a non-expanded coating for imparting a crunchy or crispy texture to a comestible is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,919 to Cornwell et al and U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,505 to Hsieh et al. A high solids, aqueous coating composition having from 10% to 40% by weight maltodextrin and from 10% to 40% by weight starch granules is employed to modify the texture, flavor and/or color of comestible products such as cookies, corn chips, potato chips, and puffed corn snacks in the process of U.S. Pat. No. 4,913,919. In the process of U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,505 individual, crunch-confectionery-coated edible nuts are produced by first coating unblanched, raw nuts with a film-forming polysaccharide to maintain the skins adhered to the nuts in a durable polysaccharide coating. The coated nuts are then coated in a pan coater with a sucrose syrup, followed by heating to remove moisture and to thereby form a crystalline coating. The crystalline coating is then partially melted to form a crystalline-amorphous coating on top of the polysaccharide coating on the individual nuts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,855 discloses coating of an expanded snack, such as a cheese ball, with a batter and bread crumbs, and then baking and frying it. Expansion of the coating into a crisp, chip-like texture is not disclosed.
A process for applying breadcrumbs to nuts is also disclosed in European Patent Application Publication No. EP 0841012 A1 to Zwiekhorst, published May 5, 1998. A paste layer of flour is applied to the nuts by means of spraying liquid, an adhesive layer is applied, and then breadcrumbs are applied. The coated products may then be fried or roasted in hot air. Expansion of the coating into a crisp, chip-like texture is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,787,588 to Turitz discloses preparing a snack food by wrapping a nut with a thin shell of a dough comprising a mixture of 85-35% by volume wheat flour and 15-65% by volume corn flour so that the dough contacts the skin of the nut and then baking or frying the dough wrapped nut. The dough, it is disclosed, forms a hard, crunchy, crisp crust.
The production of snack products with an expanded coating on a comestible, such as nuts, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,650 to Chino et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,113 to Mochizuki et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,961 to Lanner et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,546 to Kristinus et al, and PCT International Patent Publication No. WO 99/34691 to Kreuning et al.
In the process of PCT International Patent Publication No. WO 99/34691 a batter resembling pancake batter containing water, wheat flour, and possibly other starches or flours is used to coat nuts. One or more particles are provided on the layer which is still wet so that a part of the particles projects from the coating layer, and then the coated product is deep fried. For obtaining a highly expandable dough material, it is disclosed, a pregelatinized waxy maize flour, native waxy maize flour, and pregelatinized sticky rice flour may be employed. However, use of a batter to the coat nuts tends to result in agglomeration or sticking of individual nuts to each other, and non-uniform coating of the nuts.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,650 to Chino et al discloses the production of puffed confections in which leguminous seeds, nuts or other food particles are incorporated which have a uniform shape. The food particles are coated in a revolving pan alternately with an edible flour composition and an aqueous solution of a sugar, syrup or gum. The flour composition contains a self non-expandable cereal flour or starch such as wheat flour or rice flour or a starch such as potato starch or corn starch, and a self-expandable cereal flours or starches such as alpha-waxy maize starch or alpha-waxy rice flour. The coated pieces are baked in a mold, and an open space is created within the baked shell so that the piece is moveable within it. The moisture content of the coated layer must be no more than 23% when the articles are baked because the expansion strength of the flour composition and the excessive pressure of the steam vapor force the steam and gelatinized paste compositions of the coated layer out of the mold. Use of a pregelatinized waxy starch to achieve uniform expansion without a baking mold is not disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,499,113 to Mochizuki et al discloses that “Onorokemame” is a Japanese snack product conventionally made from a formulation that contains mainly wheat flour and a large amount of expandable pregelatinized starchy flour such as pregelatinized waxy corn flour or pregelatinized glutinous rice flour that expands with heat to provide a fully expanded product. According to Mochizuki et al the conventional product does not possess full savor because a starchy flour which is less expandable but provides good savor, such as mashed potato flour and corn flour is not employed. In the process of Mochizuki et al, coating a core material with a layer of starchy flour that has a single degree of expandability as in the conventional product, results in difficulty in controlling the expansion of the coating during heating and difficulty in attaining a suitable degree of hardness. In the Mochizuki et al process and composition, an expanded coating is obtained with a starchy flour formulation that contains a smaller amount of highly expandable pregelatinized starchy flour, such as pregelatinized waxy corn flour and pregelatinized glutinous rice flour, and 50 to 77.5% by weight, based on the total starchy flour, of less expandable starchy flour such as mashed potato flour and corn flour. However, the starchy flour formulation is applied using two coatings, each coating comprising a mixture of two different types of starchy flour. The second coating is less expandable than the first coating. Wheat flour is not employed in either coating. Also, use of a high amount of corn flour tends to reduce crunchiness, and imparts a corn flavor. Use of high amounts of a mashed potato flour rather than a raw potato starch tends to result in a tighter, harder texture.
Use of a second coating which is less expandable than a first coating is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,546 to Kristinus et al. Kristinus et al discloses food products having a comestible core, such as nuts, surrounded by coating compositions containing a mixture of linear and branched polysaccharides. The polysaccharide mixture is provided by a mixture of waxy and non-waxy starches. A major proportion of non-pregelatinized waxy starch is employed in a first layer to obtain an expanded or puffed layer having a flaky texture. A second layer which comprises a major proportion of a non-waxy starch, such as wheat flour, provides a hard, protective outer shell. Use of a pregelatinized waxy starch in place of the non-pregelatinized waxy starch, it is disclosed, would not result in the desired flaky texture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,961 to Lanner et al discloses the continuous production of non-aggregated edible cores, such as nuts, with crisp farinaceous coatings. A farinaceous powder is continuously dusted on the dry zone of a tumbling bed of edible cores. As the edible cores repeatedly rotate through both the wet and dry zones, they are repeatedly coated by the farinaceous powder in the dry zone and hydrating liquid in the wet zone thereby forming farinaceous dough around the individual edible cores. The farinaceous powder contains flour, preferably from about 20 to 100%, more preferably from about 35 to 95% by weight of flour. The farinaceous powder further comprises from about 0 to 50%, more preferably from about 5 to 40% by weight of pregelatinized starch. The pregelatinized starch is preferably a pregelatinized modified waxy starch. Flours which may be used in the dusting step include nut flour and cereal grain flours derived from wheat, rice, oats, corn, barley, rye or mixtures thereof. The farinaceous dough coating formed on the individual edible cores, it is disclosed, must contain a flour and starch to sugar weight ratio of from about 0.5:1 to 30:1, preferably from about 1.5:1 to 10:1 to obtain a crisp texture of the coated snack product. The use of a pregelatinized non-modified waxy starch or the use of a raw potato starch, to obtain a crispy, chip-like texture in expanded coatings is not disclosed.
In the present invention, a snack having an expanded, crispy, chip-like textured coating which contains a substantial amount of wheat flour is obtained using a highly expandable, pregelatinized waxy starch and a raw potato starch. Thick, uniformly expanded, cellular coatings having a crispy, chip-like texture are achieved in a single, homogeneous coating or layer and without the need for a baking mold. An expandable, adherent, dough coating is formed on an edible core material, such as a nut or dried fruit, without substantial or any agglomeration or sticking of individually coated core material pieces to each other. The dough coating may be expanded by frying or baking to obtain savory or sweet snack products having a substantially expanded, crispy, chip-like coating or casing.